The Divine placed a secret
on the forehead of my father,
inverted it so only those
who look beyond
his facade can discern
what is embossed there,
those who stop a minute,
pause and look deeply into
the tenderness of his eyes;

Know that this man,
Magnificent in striving*
was a lover of the Divine,
a weeper at the Divine’s doorstep*
upon listening to the sacred text,
a hustler at the Divine’s
marketplace for his family,
a seeker of the Divine’s
truth through his beloved,
and now a celestial bird
over the throne of the Divine.

Say a prayer for this humble servant,
that the Divine might continue to
open our hearts to a reality of
slavehood to the Most High,
servitude to the Most Compassionate.
.
[Al-Fatihah]

Glossary:

Hilbert (his pre-conversion name) means ‘Magnificent in striving or battle’.
Abdullah means ‘slave of the Divine’.
Abdur-Rahim means ‘servant of the Most Compassionate’.

Safa N. Plenty, educator and mental health counselor, hoping to pursue a doctorate in Theology with a focus in spiritual formation and peacemaking. She holds a Masters of Social Work from Columbia University and an undergraduate degree in interdisciplinary studies with a minor in Africana Studies. For the past two years, she has worked as a K-12 educational contractor and assistant counselor at a local community college. Her research interest include Sufism, Attachment to God, indigenous eschatology, particularly Native American and Somatic psychology. She is also interested in religious mysticism, mindfulness practice in Buddhism and the role of feminism and religion in cultivating a peacemaking capacity among young Muslim women. She is currently working to develop a faith based healthy relationships program for Mothers and daughters. She enjoys writing poetry, research, and contemplative practice in art and crafts in her free time.